Micah Richards claims that if a former Chelsea star was still playing now he would be considered the world’s best in his position.
There have been so many superstars to call Stamford Bridge their home throughout Chelsea’s history, particularly in the 21st century. Hopefully, the current young group under Enzo Maresca can emulate their predecessors.
Blues ace Cole Palmer finished eighth in this year’s Ballon d’Or as he continues his incredible rise. At the moment, the English attacking midfielder is the standout Chelsea player who can compete for the individual awards.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty ImagesMicah Richards claims Frank Lampard would be rated as the world’s best midfielder in the present day
Frank Lampard, who played for the Blues between 2001 and 2014, is the definition of a Chelsea legend. Now retired, he’s currently doing a stellar job as the Coventry City manager after two previous stints in the Blues dugout as well.
It cost Chelsea around £11m (Sky Sports) to sign the central midfielder from West Ham.
He made a career out of being an elite goalscoring midfielder. In fact, he still sits top of Chelsea’s goalscoring charts with 211 goals in 648 appearances.
According to Micah Richards, Lampard would be viewed as the best midfielder around if he was playing in the current day.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Richards said: “If Lampard was playing now, everyone would be saying he’s the best midfielder in world football.
“Everyone was like, ‘oh, he just gets tap-ins.’ But now with the terminology that Alan’s using on Match of the Day now, the turnovers in the pockets of space, and the transitions, his late runs into the box. Everyone would be going wild for him, and he’s a top player in terms of that running to the box and how intelligent he is on the field.”
John Obi Mikel hailed Lampard as a quiet leader within Chelsea’s dressing room during his era, while club captain John Terry was the loud enforcer.
It feels like modern football is very data-driven, so we agree that Lampard would have been loved even more by the wider audiences if he had played in this relegation. To consistently score 20 goals per season from midfield is something we just don’t see from anyone else.
Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty ImagesEnzo Fernandez must look at Frank Lampard for inspiration
We’ve noticed Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 24, become a lot better in the last year at timing his runs into the opposition box, which was a trademark of Lampard’s career and how he scored so regularly.
While we don’t expect him to become as clinical as Lampard, he should be aiming for a solid goals return every campaign.
Last season, Fernandez scored nine goals in 53 appearances across all competitions. He’s started this term with three goals in 10 matches as well.
Richards has spotted Fernandez’s attacking movement into the penalty box, so it’s great to see him developing a key strength for any top midfielder.